The National tribune., 1887-03-24
CAVALRY AT NASHVILLE.
Clear Statement That VIII Help Comrades 0u
OF the FOg.

A Clear Statement That VIII Help Comrades Out
OF Che Fog.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Owing to want
of a clearness of statement as to the location of
the various divisions of cavalry that particle
pated in the battle of Nashville on Dee l. and
l6, 1864, much controversy has arisen over
| COmrade Surby's account of the operations OF
Hatchs Division, especially among comrades
whose commands We're ON the right of Gen.
ThOmas'S army. i viii endeavOr TO show the
position of each command so clearly that all
concerned will see that they are right, taking
their various points of view into consideration.
Had there been no troops on the right Of
I Hatehs Division on Dec. ID the battle of Nash
vile would have had q far different ending IS
ChalmerS's Division would have been free to
fall upon our right and rear, with disastrous
results. Let me quote some extracts from Col.
Henry Stones lecture on I" Franklin and Nash
| ville" delivered before the Lowell Mass IN
stitute, and published in the Boston Herald of
March %. 1856, accompanied by maps aud
drawings of both fields. Col Stone was an Aid
of Gen. Thomas during those campaigns, and
his statements may be relied upon. After re-
citing Gen. ThOmas's order for the disposition
of the troops he says:
The main work was on Gen. Thomas's right
[ Early in the morning the cavalry, under command
of Gen. Wilson, took position ON smiths right.
| and in connection with him moved bTisk.y across
the open space toward the enemy, swinging by
/ left half wheel with the Fourth Corps pivot.
by 10 o'clock the formation was complete the line
stretching from the len Of The Fourth GOrps 0ppo-
site Mon. gomery Hill to the right Of the cIvaiFy
little beyond hoods last reOudt, near ths Hills
/ borO pike. To reach tbe eucmy'5 works the cav
airy bad to march about six miles.
This movement of swinging by left half
wheel required protection to the wheeling
[ flank Consulting Col. Stones diagram OF the
field, we find the cavalry division of Gen. john
son posted on the extreme right, between the
/ Charlotte pike aud the Columbia River, con-
/ fronting the rebel Gen. Chalmers; next the
cavalry brigade of Gen. CroxtOn, between the
Charlotte pike and the railroad leading to john
/ sonyille between that railroad and the Hardin
/ pike the cavalry division of Gen. Knipe; and
/ still on the left and connecting with Smiths
! Corps was Hatch Division near the HillsborO
/ pike Three regiments were dismOuntcd and
formed the right of the line of dism0unted men,
or men fighting on foot. Quoting Col. Stone as
to what took place here:
Thus by o'clock the enemy's outwork had been
carried meaning Montgomery Hill, and the entire
Union line was IN such position that any forward
movement anywhere involved an assault. The
right of the infantry and the left Of the cavalry
were at the foot of the hills, on whose SUBMITS
were strong detached redOubts, aud were uuder
the fire of hsfa- dozen batteries. To stand sti in
vowed the possibilities of ns great losses sue
eessful assault. The cheers from Montgomery Hill
were all the stimulus needed. Infantry and cav
airy che latter dlsmOunted started together the
charge sounded up the steep, rocky hills, straight
toward the Ihllsboro pike. A terrific fire WAS
opened upon them from the redoubts and from be-
hind stone walls along. the pike but nothing could
check che advancing line
Concerning the operations of the cavalry on
Dec. 16 we quote the same authority:
While Mcmillan was preparing his brigade for
the charge Hatch'S cavalry tdismOuuted) had
gained u hill commanding the enemy rear Here,
with incredible labor the men had dragged by
hand two guns, which, just rs Mcmillan began his
advance opened on the works browning the hill,
up the opposite side of which the infantry
scrambling at the same time. COon's Cavalry Bril-
gade, armed with repeating rifles charged from the
SOUTH and poured out such vOley5 of mu5Setry
never heard before or since
In conclusion, let me add that there was
glory enough at Nashville for all, infantry,
cavalry artillery and engineers, for the privates
and officers, for never was there a worse used
up army than the mob that crossed the Tennes-
see River 10 days after the battle of Nashville
under Hood. Having been witness of the
exploits of COOn's Brigade. and a member Of
one of its regiments, i am constrained 70 say
that Comrade Surby's account is substantially
correct. have no reason to doubt that the
other divisions of cavalry did their whole duty,
and thus made it possible for great victory TO
be wOn.-GEoEGE A. Root, Major, 9TH III.
Cav, Lanark, III.